A Squirrel Picnic Story with Crochet Patterns and Projects

Tips for Choosing and Substituting Yarn for the Tall ‘n’ Fast Flower Pillow

I’m excited that so many people are interested in making Tall ‘n’ Fast Flower Pillows! As you get started, I thought I would provide some tips about choosing yarn for this project. In the coming weeks I’ll share even more handy-dandy tricks to help you make this unique pillow.

How Much Yarn Will I Need?

First, consider: what kind of back would you like to do?

Make a back in the flower pattern just like the front.

Make a back in the colors and order that you choose.

1. Flower Pattern for Front and Back

To use the flower pattern (Pillow Front) to make both the front and the back, you will need approximately:

Then choose whatever colors you like for the back, keeping in mind that you will need approximately 172 yards total to crochet the back.

Can I Use My Own Colors for This Project?

Certainly! Be adventurous! Make your pillow as unique as you are.

If you’re not sure what colors to use, I recommend Design Seeds. On her website, Jessica Colaluca breaks down photographs into color palettes. I’ve found these palettes are great inspiration for designing crochet projects.

What Fiber Content Is Best for This Project?

I encourage you to choose a yarn with a fiber content that you feel comfortable working with: one that makes you happy, because this is meant to be a happy project! (For the most part, I’d recommend cotton, wool, or acrylic, but feel free to experiment with another fiber.)

Using Scraps and Checking Gauge…

Here are a few more tips to help keep the happiness going.

Choose a medium-weight yarn.

Make sure to buy enough! Luckily this pattern doesn’t call for very much yarn. Perhaps you even have some on hand that you would like to use.

Do you know how to determine if you have enough when you are using leftovers? It’s pretty simple as long as you have the original label from the yarn (or can get the information online). You’ll also need a scale that can weigh grams or ounces. Let’s use an example:

Multiply the number of ounces I have by the total number of yards in a full ball.

example: 1.25 x 315 = 393.75

Divide this number by the number of ounces in a full ball.

example: 393.75 / 6 = 65.625 yards

Once you have your yarn in hand, be sure to check your gauge. (You’ll find the gauge details for this pattern on page 73 and additional instructions on page 30.) I made this mistake and didn’t check my gauge when I used Cascade 220 to make this pillow last year. The pillow ended up a little small, and even though I was able to shove the pillow form in, the finished pillow was lumpy.

Got My Color Scheme, Now Which Colors Should I Put Where?

Once you’ve chosen your color scheme, the next step is deciding where each color should go in the pattern. I came up with a handy-dandy tool to help you, and it requires you to color! Print out and color in this black-and-white sketch of our pillow front pattern using colored pencils or crayons in your chosen colors.

It’s a great way to test out your color combos before you start. Your final colored-in sketch will also be a nice tool to help you tell which color you are using for which letter (A-F) as you read the pattern. Enjoy!